Mattresses, like most consumer products, have a limited lifespan. A mattress that once provided a deep and restful sleep may have deteriorated in comfort and support capabilities. A good sleep isn’t just a random occurrence, it has to be planned and prepared for. The first step to improving sleep quality is realizing that a quality mattress is an investment. The second step is understanding what makes a quality mattress. This is where most people get lost. Price is often mistaken for quality, and a mattress that costs more is frequently believed to be more comfortable. This ideology is not always the case. Understanding what makes a quality mattress is the major key to improving sleep quality, yet this can be a complex and frustrating process. The aim of this guide is to provide information that will guide readers to a better sleep, as the first step to a better tomorrow.
Sleep is essential to the body. It refreshes, renews, and repairs in a way that no other activity can provide. The best part about sleep is that it is a free healthcare tool. Although many of us are unaware of how to truly maximize our sleep experience. A large factor in improving sleep quality is revolved around the use of a good mattress. This guide is a must-read for those looking to make a mattress purchase in the near future and those who are simply looking to get a better night’s rest.
Benefits of a Good Mattress
Finally, mattresses can often develop allergy-causing organisms such as dust mites. Studies show that by replacing an old mattress, you can reduce exposure to these organisms, the key contributors to indoor allergy problems.
In a study conducted by Oklahoma State University, where 59 healthy men and women slept on their regular mattress for 28 consecutive nights and then slept on a new mattress for 28 nights, the participants reported an improvement in sleep quality, comfort, and back pain. A good mattress provides support and comfort to those with severe back pain. According to Dr. Robert Oexman, director of the Sleep to Live Institute, he stated that “As a mattress ages, it tends to provide less support and can increase pain and discomfort, and this can also occur with the progression of a back condition.” Step one to enhancing sleep and improving back health is to get a comfortable and reliable mattress. Oexman also states a general rule of thumb for mattress replacement, recommending consumers to “use their mattress for 8-10 years. After that amount of time, it’s lost much of the comfort and support it once provided.” By purchasing a new mattress, you can experience an increase in the quality of sleep and comfort.
A comfortable mattress can help you with more than just sleep. A study funded by the National Institute on Aging found that many healthy individuals between ages 60 and 89 reported more pain when lying in bed or getting out of bed when sleeping on an older mattress. Moreover, the quality of sleep was affected. This can be avoided by taking time to find the right mattress that suits your sleeping habits and comfort levels.
Poor quality sleep can have a negative impact on many aspects of an individual’s life, including emotional well-being, mental alertness, and physical health. The most crucial part of this adversity is caused by an uncomfortable mattress. Mattresses are the base to a sound sleep. Comfort is a unique preference to everyone, but it’s important to find the most comfortable mattress for you. Buying luxurious bed clothes, sheets, and adding light and pleasant aromas to the room may help you fall asleep, but the most crucial part to a nice beginning to a new day is a good mattress.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Mattress
Longevity – Usually, the average mattress should provide good support for 8-10 years. Mattresses with a higher price generally last longer, but this is not always the case. It is often difficult to measure longevity because of the length of time for the mattress to last. A way to gauge this is through using the quality/density of the materials used. High-density memory foam mattresses last longer than lower density ones. The coil count in spring mattresses also makes a difference, with more coils often providing better support and increasing the amount of time it will last.
Support – An improvement from comfort, support is to do with how well the mattress supports the natural alignment of the spine. Good mattresses provide good spinal alignment, and some can provide much more support than others. This is important to take into consideration. For example, people with a bad back will require a mattress with more support than others in order to reduce back pain.
Comfort – A tricky factor to measure as comfort is subjective and what is comfortable for one person can be uncomfortable for another. The best way to judge this is to not consider whether the mattress is hard or soft, but to consider whether it feels good to you. A common misconception is that a hard mattress is better for your back, and a softer mattress is not. This is not true as a mattress too firm can also cause back pain. (Sleeping on a mattress that is too hard can cause a buildup of painful pressure, so the spine will sag (fall into a bad position) and cause pain.) Only by laying down on the mattress and trying it can you really know if the comfort is right for you.
Price and Budget – This is obviously the most important factor for many people when purchasing a new mattress. With some of the most comfortable options easily costing over $1,000, it is important to know how much you are willing to spend before you start comparing mattresses. It is also useful when comparing mattresses to know what the general prices are. A good quality queen size mattress should cost between $700 and $1,000. If you are paying much more than this, you are being overcharged, and if you are paying much less, you are probably getting something inferior.
Foam Mattresses
The most popular brand and type of foam mattress is the Tempur brand; however, this is also somewhat more expensive. Due to climbing popularity, there are many visco-elastic and specialty foam mattresses that are relatively cheaper and offer the same benefit. An example of a cheaper alternative is a brand called Koosh foam. This is effective, comfortable, and an ideal choice if you are on a lower budget. Foams used in these mattresses, including the Koosh brand, are often more dense than higher-end brand mattresses and serve the same function effectively unless an individual has a specific health condition that requires the highest quality foam mattress Singapore or if they prefer a firmer sleeping surface. Foam mattresses with higher density provide better support and durability, making them suitable for individuals with back or joint pain.to support and alleviate the condition.
Visco-elastic foam mattresses can be further broken down into two categories. There is the traditional type that is constructed from one whole layer of visco-elastic foam, and there is the contemporary version which consists of a layer of visco-elastic foam on the surface of a traditional coil spring mattress. The difference in cost between the two is that the contemporary versions are cheaper; however, the benefit of comfort and quality is far less, as they still create pressure points and movement from one person is transferred to the other by the spring mattress beneath. When considering foam mattresses in terms of the benefits to quality of sleep, posture, and overall health and wellbeing, it is recommended that people go for the traditional one whole layer foam mattress.
The most apparent characteristic in foam mattresses is that they are made of visco-elastic foam, which is a polyurethane foam that is temperature sensitive and has the ability to spring back into its original shape. This type of mattress made its first appearance in the early 90’s and was groundbreaking as it was the first mattress to be designed specifically to enhance sleeping posture, quality, and comfort. Foam mattresses often have a reputation for being somewhat more expensive than coil spring mattresses; however, there are many styles and brands of foam mattresses available, ranging in price.
Types of Foam Mattresses
Memory foam is a popular type of foam in mattresses due to its great pressure-relieving properties. Memory foam is made of polyurethane foam mixed with other compounds to add to its viscosity level, making it more dense and heavier. Higher density memory foam reacts to body heat, which allows it to mold to a warm body in a few minutes, softening and contouring around natural curves to provide great support and pressure relief. Gel foam or gel memory foam is infused with gel beads or swirls, promoting better heat dissipation, while the latest in memory foams is graphite-infused memory foam. This foam is designed to offer superior conductivity by using the convoluted airflow design and graphite particles to draw heat away from the body. All memory foams may initially feel slightly firm or hard to some, but as it reacts to body heat, the contouring process will begin. A memory foam mattress can sometimes have added layers of regular foam, and the cheaper memory foam mattresses may have a memory foam layer less than 1 inch thick. This can affect quality and longevity as the memory foam may not provide adequate support. Price is often a major concern, with good quality memory foam mattresses ranging from $1500-$3000.
Regular polyurethane foam is the cheapest type of foam used in mattresses and is essentially what you would expect – a standard foam that does the job. These mattresses will vary in terms of quality and price, but the major drawback is that a low-density foam will deteriorate quickly. Prices can be very cheap ($200 or less) to what seems like very expensive for something made of foam, and the quality will reflect the price.
When choosing a foam mattress in Singapore, you will likely see the usual types of foam available, from regular polyurethane foam, memory foam, and latex, to the latest gel memory foam or graphite-infused memory foam. Here is a summary of each type:
Pros and Cons of Foam Mattresses
In general, foam mattresses have the same basic design. The differences between them will occur in how much support they might provide, the construction, and the materials used. One of the different types of foam mattresses might provide different comfort and support for your body. As compared to memory foam or traditional foam mattresses, latex foam mattresses are able to provide more support and comfort. This is due to latex foam mattresses being made with an open-cell structure, which is more durable. Latex mattresses are supportive, comfortable, and great for relieving back pain. They are cool to sleep on and not susceptible to mold or dust mites. However, some people are allergic to the proteins in the rubber tree sap that is used to make latex foams, and anyone with a latex allergy should avoid latex mattresses. In this case, identifying the type of foam mattress depends on one’s health status. A more suitable mattress will give more long-term benefits for health. In contrast, memory foam mattresses provide significant advantages for securing the body and preventing movement. A memory foam mattress will absorb movement and isolate it, preventing it from being felt on the surface. A memory foam mattress will contour and conform to any figure, which removes any pressure from the skin by distributing the body weight. This uniform support will provide reduced pressure, less tossing and turning, and better blood circulation, which can prevent any joint pain. In other words, total comfort. However, memory foam mattresses can retain heat and may smell prior to bio-chemical releases from the memory foam material. Some advanced memory foam off-gas less and have fewer issues with heat retention, but it can never be totally prevented. High-resilient foam mattresses are more similar to memory foam mattresses. They also provide strong support and better comfort. Too much firmness will not guarantee comfort. So, more firmness with strong support will give strong, stable comfort. Any additional comfort layer made of microcell, latex, or memory foam will increase the quality of the foam mattress. It will provide higher density, better color, and good response to pressure.
How to Choose the Right Foam Mattress
One of the best things about foam mattresses is that you can utilize them on an existing box spring. Because of their durability, it is not always required to acquire a new foundation. Yet, it is still a good idea to make sure that your foam mattress will be adequately supported. A well-built frame or platform that is strong with sturdy center support will prevent the foam mattress from sagging or dipping over time. An insufficient base will hinder the comfort and support the mattress can give. This can make the foam mattress seem less comfortable than it really is. In the event of purchasing a new frame, make sure to construct the new frame with strong center support to prevent sagging in the middle. A warranty that includes the condition of the mattress foundation can become void if the mattress is not adequately supported. This can cause a problem for those who only check the warranty after having a problem. This can be an issue that catches you off guard in the future, so it is a good idea to find out how much support is required by the warranty and the mattress manufacturer.
Latex Mattress Toppers
Latex foam is also known to be a very durable material. These mattresses and mattress toppers can often last 15-20 years, which makes them an excellent investment. They are able to do this because latex is a natural material that can resist biodegradation. This keeps the foam from breaking down and losing its consistency. Also, latex is an open-cell foam, which allows for much better air circulation to keep the sleeper cooler. Open-cell foam is also resistant to mold.
Latex foam mattresses and mattress toppers are among the newest sleep systems on the market. Latex foam is very similar to memory foam; however, it has quite a bit more spring to it. This allows the sleeper to move around a lot more freely than on memory foam. While this may be a negative to some people, others may find it a refreshing change.
Advantages of Latex Mattress Toppers
Latex is derived from the sap of a rubber tree and is then whipped into a foam. The processing method for the latex allows it to have a denser or lighter feel, specific body shaping properties, and controls the density. This also means that different latex toppers can offer different benefits. Natural latex (made from the sap) and organic latex (made from the sap of a rubber tree using organic growing methods) combined are the most luxurious and healthy toppers available. Latex has a resilient feel and is the most durable mattress topper available. Latex mattress toppers provide great comfort because they are able to at once relieve pressure and provide support to the body. This means that all contact points can be softened without allowing the body to sink too far into the mattress. This will not only provide relief to those with back pain, but also help to prevent it by aligning the spine properly. The resilience also means that the topper has some spring to it and will not have a ‘stuck in the mud’ feeling, making changing positions easier. Latex toppers are also effective at isolating motion, the latex is able to absorb the energy from movement and dissipate it so the opposite side of the bed is not disturbed. Finally, latex toppers are virtually silent and do not produce the same sound effects as foam alternatives.
Different Types of Latex Mattress Toppers
Synthetic latex toppers are generally a more cost-effective alternative. They feel and have similar support to natural latex toppers; however, they do not possess the same resilience and durability. This means the topper will deteriorate more quickly, losing comfort and support, and will need to be replaced. If you are looking for a topper to use short term, or you are not too concerned with the therapeutic qualities, a synthetic latex topper would be suitable.
100% natural latex toppers are renowned for their therapeutic benefits because the latex is a very resilient material. It aligns to the shape of the body and instantly reforms to the original shape the moment you move position. This provides constant firm support to the body as you sleep, promoting natural spinal alignment which can alleviate minor to moderate back pain. This constant support also reduces the pressure and increases the blood circulation to extremities, giving you a more restful and uninterrupted night’s sleep. You will often pay a higher price for a 100% natural latex topper, but it’s a necessity for those who have back pain or a large frame. If you are looking for a topper to soften a firm mattress, or you are of average build and just desire a quality topper for a better sleep, a natural latex topper is appropriate but not essential.
Different latex toppers are constructed using different kinds of technology. You will often find a blend of natural and synthetic latex is used. This is a general rule, however, there are some toppers that are made with 100% natural latex, and these are the toppers that can be classified as orthopedic. I will explain the difference.
Factors to Consider When Buying a Latex Mattress Topper
There are two different methods used to produce latex: the Talalay method and the Dunlop method. The Dunlop method produces a denser, heavier product, whereas the Talalay method adds more softness and variation in firmness throughout the topper. Talalay toppers are generally preferred as they provide better comfort and support; however, they are usually more expensive. This brings us to our first point to consider.
A latex mattress topper is a natural material that is derived from the rubber tree. It is an eco-friendly product that is biodegradable and breathable. Latex toppers can be natural or synthetic, with the natural type offering better durability and comfort, but come with a higher price tag. It is important to take note of the type of latex the topper is made from, as it can affect things such as performance, durability, and pricing.
When deciding to buy a latex mattress topper, there are several key factors that you should consider before making a purchase. A latex mattress topper is an affordable way to add comfort to your current mattress, relieve back pain, and give you the quality sleep you need. In this article, you will learn about what latex toppers are, the different types, and the key points to consider before purchasing one.
Spring Beds
In general, spring beds last for a very long time. The average lifespan of a bed is roughly 4-5 years, but a good spring bed can last for ten years or more. In fact, most mattress companies offer ten-year warranties for spring beds. This increase in longevity is due to the modern technology, materials, and design that spring beds have utilized. These advancements have not only increased the lifespan of spring beds but have also decreased the cost, making it a very economical choice for consumers.
Understanding a spring bed’s technology is important, but currently there are many variations of spring beds. It is a bit difficult for an average consumer to distinguish the differences. It is generally thought that the more springs there are, the softer the bed will be, and then the more comfortable it will be. However, this can easily lead to false advertisement and should not be a firm belief unless the specifics are given. One simple way to understand what makes up a spring bed is to look at whether they have a spring core or not. With a spring core bed, typically the more springs that are used, the better.
Understanding Spring Bed Technology
A spring bed is one of the most traditional types of mattress and has been around for many years. It consists of a metal coil system and is generally placed on top of a box spring. There are two main types of spring systems used. The first is the Bonnell coil, which is an hourglass-shaped coil. This is the cheaper of the two and can cause uncomfortable pressure points because the springs are interconnected. The second type is the pocketed coil. This is a more comfortable option as each spring is individually enclosed in fabric, so they can move independently of each other and better contour to your body. The price of a spring bed can vary from mid to high range. This depends on the quality of the bed. High-quality beds will generally include more coils and higher quality cushioning. A common misconception with spring beds is that they are better for you than other types of mattresses. It is often thought that the firmer the mattress, the better it is for your back. However, this is not true. The quality of a mattress and the comfort it provides is subjective. A spring mattress will often wear out quickly and when the springs push against your body, they will cause your body to become misaligned during sleep. This can affect the quality of your sleep and cause back pain.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Spring Beds
Types and variety There is a wide range of spring beds varying in sizes, styles, and uses. These include pocket spring mattresses, open coil mattresses, sprung divans, and adjustable and orthopedic spring beds. Pocket sprung mattresses are generally considered to be of a more premium quality than the alternatives. They consist of individual springs encased in fabric, which allows them to move independently and therefore respond to a body’s movements. Movement in an open coil mattress, conversely, can cause a ripple effect, and they do not distribute body weight evenly since the springs are linked together. Sprung divans usually consist of a bed base with a spring bed built into it; there is again a large variance in quality, and the customer should consider the same factors when purchasing a spring bed. Adjustable and orthopedic spring beds are designed for specific uses such as treating medical conditions or providing extra support and comfort.
Materials The quality of a spring bed is mostly judged by the materials used in its manufacture. High-quality steel and other metals will generate a better mattress, so it can be of some concern to the customer that individual manufacturers may not disclose what the springs are made of and what the gauge is. This is important information as lower-quality steel will bend and sag easier over time. Customers should also be aware that just because a bed is priced higher does not mean that the materials used in it are of a better standard. There is a common consumer misconception that memory foam beds are related to spring beds. This is not generally the case; memory foam beds are usually a completely different product and have their own merits and drawbacks. Memory foam can be used in conjunction with a spring bed as a topper to provide extra comfort, however.
Tips for Selecting the Perfect Spring Bed
A spring mattress has a boxed-in wire coil design to give great support, but they are easily surpassed by memory foam or latex. The design of the coil is created to help distribute the weight of the user and also give some kind of softness, however, they have been known to cause discomfort and actually wear down further on the mattress over time which results in a bumpy surface. Newer spring designs have attempted to combat this problem. When choosing a spring mattress, a potential buyer should consider whether or not they are easily awakened when their partner climbs into bed or gets out of bed. If they are easily awakened, they may want to consider a spring design that minimizes this disturbance to the other parts of the bed by using individually enclosed coils. Other things to consider are the comfort and durability of the mattress, the space in which the mattress will fit, and the cost. With the comfort and durability factor, another two-sided mattress can provide the same comfort and support, which will make the purchase of the mattress wise. A buyer should also consider avoiding being too thrifty on a mattress, as it is usually used roughly 8 hours of the day, and this is a very important asset to one’s health.